Judge slams Alton Towers bosses over the 'needless and avoidable' Smiler horror crash which injured 16 and cost two people their legs as he fines theme park £5million

The owners of Alton Towers have been fined £5million for failures leading to the crash on the Smiler ride, which injured 16 people and led to two teenagers losing their legs.
Judge Michael Chambers QC called the rollercoaster accident a 'catastrophic failure' and a 'shambles' which could have been avoided.
Vicky Balch, then 19, and Leah Washington, then 17, each lost a leg in the collision in June last year which changed their lives 'in the most dramatic way', the judge said.
The judge told bosses from Merlin Entertainments, who run the park: 'This was a needless and avoidable accident in... read more

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